Knitted fabrics and in the production thereof



April 21,1936. T. H. JONES 2,038,493

KNITTED FABRICS AND IN THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Filed May 8, 1935 RATONES INa/ENTOQ `By MMM nom/51g Patented Apr. 2l, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTED FABRICS AND IN THE PRODUCTION THEREOF Thomas Henry Jones, Woodthorpe, England Application May 8, 1935, Serial No. 20,490 In Great Britain September 19, 1934 7 Claims.

intermeshing stitches. The main object of` the invention is to provide a more effective method than heretofore of rendering knitted or intermeshing stitches immune or practically immune from laddering, that isA to say, preventing the in- 0 termeshing stitch loops from slipping one through `the other in the event of thread breakage. More particularly the invention refers to the type of' fabric disclosed in Patent No. 1,960,161 wherein loops are locked or tied one upon another by pass- 1 ing a thread loop through and also around or over another loop. v

According to the present invention knitted fabric is provided embodying one or more stitch loops which is or are embraced by a closed loop of loop other than a stitch loop, having intersecting legs. The locking thread extends weft-wise of the fabric, i. e. in the directionof the stitch courses, the intersecting legs of each lockingloop v extending laterally from the stitch loop embraced thereby; and by virtue of thefact that elasticity or stretch of the fabric is in the direction of the courses (at rightl angles to the stitch wales) tension imparted to the fabric ,in such direction tends to straighten out the looped locking'thread embracing the stitch loop and in so doing reduce the sie of the locking loop so that same more `closely embraces the legs ofthe stitch loop. In the event, therefore, of breakage of the stitch thread the grip exerted by the embracing locking thread loop effectively eliminates or minimizes the possibility of laddering.

In a fabric embodying locked stitches ,or ladder-resisting stitches as above the efficiency of the lock or tie increases with the lateral deformation or stretching of the fabric, i. e. stretching in the direction of the stitch courses, the size of the locking loops progressively decreasing until same tightly grip the stitch loops. In fact, if the pull or tension on the fabric is increased to a sufficient extent the closed stitch-embracing loop becomes substantially straightened out and in doing so the legs of the stitch loop embraced are pulled one across the other and a part of the stitch loop becomes tightly looped around or upon the locking thread. Y

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:'-

locking or tying thread, that is to say al thread Figure 1 illustrates one constrw tion of fabric in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 illustrates a modified construction of fabric.

Figures 3 to l'illustrate eight successive steps in the production of the fabric shown in Figure 1.

Figure l1 is a side elevational View of the needle shown in Figs. 3 to 10;

In the construction of fabric illustrated in Fig. 10.*

1 the stitch loops a of the fabric are locked 4or tied by locking thread loops b, each locking loop b being passed or threaded through the loop a. which latter loop is also threaded through the locking loop b, the legs of the locking loop b 15 crossing. or intersecting each other where same pass through the stitch loop a. The locking thread from which `the loops b are formed extends weft-wise of the fabric, i. e. in the direction of the stitchcourses, consequently any tension on the fabric in a weft-wise direction tends 2 to reduce the size of the locking loops b and cause same to embrace the legs of the stitch loops a more closely. Therefore, should the stitch thread break it will be appreciated that weft-'wise tension on the fabric tightens the locking loops adjacent to the broken thread and prevents running or laddering of the stitches. The production of the fabric is advantageously such thateach stitch loop a embraced by a locking loop b is itself twisted to form a complete or 30 closed loop, and advantageously the legs of said stitch loop a are crossed both above and below the position at which the locking loop b passes between same.

The locked or tiedstitch illustrated in Fig. 1 35 may be produced by the employment of a needle comprising broadly a shank having at one end a' double hook portion forming what 'is virtually a flattened or elongated helix or spiral. For ex- '4 ample the shank or stem I of the needle is bent over at one (upper) end to form a main hook 2 which is again bent inwardly at its lower end towards the shank and upwardly to form a complete loop 3, the free end of the loop 3 projecting out a little beyond the depending portion of the main hook 2 to provide an approximately V- shaped recess or space between it and the mainhook for receiving thread fed to the-needle.

A convenient method of making -a locked stitch by means of the before-described needle 50 will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 to l0 of the drawing.

An already formed stitch loop a to be locked is cleared on to the needle shank below the helix and locking thread b is fed between the projecting end of the helix loop 3 and the outer face of the main hook 2, (Fig. 3), upward movement of the needle causing said locking -thread to pass The needle is down into the helix loop (Fig. 4). now moved down or retracted and causes the locking thread b to pass round the bight of the loop 3 and up into the main hook 2, the locking thread loop being twisted during this movement. During the downward movement'of the needle the old stitch loop a is passed up over the helix but not cast off (Fig. 5), and subsequent upward movement of the needle causes said old loop to be drawn down into the hooked end or bight of the loop 3 (Fig. 6) from which it is suspended, and the locking thread loop is traversed down the i needle shank to a position immediately below the helix and is thereby threaded through the old stitch loop a (Fig. "1). The needle is then again retracted or drawn down and the locking thread loop passes up over the outside of the helix (Figs. 8 and 9) and is knocked over or cast oi around the old stitch loop a which is still retained in the needle hook 2 (Fig. 10)

By drawing the stitch loop a down into the bight of the loop 3 and passing same round said loop, said stitch loop is twisted in the same manner as the locking thread loop; and as the stitch loop a is also twisted prior to locking same it will be appreciated that the legs of the stitch loop are crossed one over the other both above and below they position at which the locking thread loop passes through same.

If after formation of a locked stitch loop as before-described said stitch loop is again cleared on to the needle shank below the helix and a second locking thread fed, it will be appreciated that a second locking loop b can be passed through and around the same stitch loop by carrying out the cycle of operations above-described; and in this manner doubly locked stitches as illustrated in Fig. 2 are produced.

Locking stitches as above are produced at intervals in the fabric as desired. For example, courses embodying locked stitches vmay alternate with courses of ordinary knitted stitches, i. e. unlocked stitches.

It is to be understood that after a stitch has been locked as above with either one or more locking loops b a normal knitted stitch must be produced, whiclican in its turn be locked in a similar manner.

stitch loops at least one of which is embraced by a twisted loop of locking or tying thread, that is to say a thread loop not being itself a. stitch loop having intersecting legs which extend laterally one leg to each side of the embraced stitch loop and being composed of weft thread.

2. Knitted fabric accordingto claim 1 wherein the twisted loop of locking or tying thread embraces a stitch loop which is also twisted, that is formed with intersecting legs.

3. Knitted fabric according to claim 1 wherein the legs of the stitch-locking loop pass through the stitch loop and said locking loop also passes around the stitch loop, and the legs of said locking loop intersect one another where same pass through said stitch loop.

4.' Knitted fabric according to claim 1, wherein the legs of the locked or tied stitch loop are twisted and cross each other both above and below the position at which the locking thread loop embraces same.

5. The method of producing knitted fabric which consists in forming a stitch loop, forming a twisted or crossed loop, that is a complete or closed loop, of locking or tying thread, passing said twisted locking thread loop through the stitch loop and subsequently casting ofi the locking loop so that the same Apasses over or around lthe stitch loop.

6. The method of producing knitted fabric which consists in forming a twisted or crossed stitch loop,v (that is a stitch loop with intersecting legs), forming a similarly twisted or crossed loop of locking or tying thread, forming a second twist in the stitch loop, passing said locking loop through the stitch loop between the two twists or leg crossings thereof and subsequently casting off the locking loop so that the same passes over or around the stitch loop.

7. The production of fabric as claimed in claim 6 characterized by successively forming a plurality of twisted or crossed stitch locking or tying loops and causing each of said loops to pass through .and also embrace the legs of one and the same stitch loop.

THOMAS HENRY JONES. 

